a word. How could she stay so still? Once more, he looked back at—
Her finger was tapping. Just like the guy across from—
“Look, if you want a break to screw her,” the pretty boy snarled, “then just—”
Joel lunged across the table. He locked his fingers around the pretty boy’s throat. “Cheating isn’t tolerated at the table.”
Joel sure as fuck hoped that was the message that Chloe had been sending him. If not…Too late. He’d been acting on instinct.
The guy gasped—and then he shoved a knife toward Joel. The knife slid right out of the pretty boy’s sleeve. Like some kind of freaking magic trick. Joel jumped back just in time to avoid the slice of that blade. “Got enough cuts,” he grunted. “But thanks so much.”
The SOB was now on his feet and brandishing his knife. Except when he’d stood up, two playing cards had slipped from his sleeve. So the knife hadn’t been the only thing he’d been hiding.
How the hell had Chloe known?
“You brought a weapon to my game?” Kingston’s voice was ice cold. “And you cheated at my table?”
“I—” Fury flashed on his face. The fury gave way to fear. The man ran for the door. A bouncer got in his path, and he stabbed down with the knife. The blade sank into the bouncer’s forearm.
The bouncer’s fist plowed into his attacker’s face. Joel heard bones crunch even as the cheater fell to the floor, screaming in pain.
The others at the table jumped to their feet. Gaped.
“I am done with these games, King,” Morris declared. “Done. Shit always goes wrong here.”
Kingston’s face twisted with fury. “Eli, you dumb prick. You just made the worst mistake of your life.”
Joel didn’t look over at Eli. His gaze had returned to the bouncer. The guy with the knife shoved into his arm. “Listen, you don’t want to take that out—”
Too late. The bouncer yanked at the blade. Blood immediately soaked his arm. Hell.
“Um…excuse me?” Chloe’s voice. As smooth and easy as could be. “May I remove the blindfold? Is the game finished?”
Joel closed in on the bouncer. “Let me see your arm.”
The bouncer slapped a hand over the wound. The blood seeped through his fingers. “Screw off.”
Eli was on the floor. Whimpering and holding his nose.
“The game is over,” Kingston said flatly. “But no one is leaving the building.”
“I think your bouncer is losing a lot of blood.” Again, Chloe’s voice was mild. “He should go to the hospital.”
“N-no…h-hospital,” the bouncer croaked. His complexion was turning ashy.
“Then Joel can fix him,” Chloe continued crisply.
The blindfold still covered her eyes. How the hell did she even know about the amount of blood loss?
“He’s a doctor,” Chloe continued while everyone else seemed frozen. “Let Joel help Jimmy.”
Jimmy? Was that the bouncer’s name? There are two bouncers or guards—or what-the-hell-ever they need to be called—in the room. How had she known which one was injured?
“You a doctor?” Kingston demanded as his gaze raked Joel.
“I was.” His jaw hardened. “He should have left the knife in.”
“Well, it’s out. Take care of him, and I’ll owe you.”
Chloe’s voice seemed to whisper through his mind. If you have a chance to prove yourself, do it.
Joel stared down at his fingers.
Favors go a long way in this world.
“I haven’t worked on a patient in a long time.” There was a faint tremble in his fingertips. “He should go to the hospital.”
“Jimmy is wanted by the cops. He’s not stepping foot in a hospital. If you’re a doc, fix him. Now.”
A quick look showed that more blood poured from Jimmy’s wound. Fuck.
“Chloe, your doc boyfriend isn’t moving. Motivate him.” Kingston’s order was angry. Hard.
Joel rolled back his shoulders. I can do this. Maybe. Probably. He felt a light touch on his arm and flinched.
“It’s okay,” Chloe told him softly. She’d taken off the blindfold. She leaned onto her toes and pulled his head toward her mouth. “I can take care of him. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.”
“Thought you fainted at the sight of blood,” he rasped.
“No, it’s only bloody dead bodies that get to me. I can stitch him up. You don’t have to do this.”
“I-I think I’m going to pass out,” Jimmy croaked, sounding shocked. His big body began to sway.
Hell.
Joel surged forward and caught him. “I need room to work. Now.”
Chapter Sixteen
Blood covered Joel’s hands. Or rather, blood covered the gloves that he wore as he stitched up Jimmy Trainor. Chloe tilted her head and watched him work. Fast. Steady.